Winter holidays should be a time of celebration and joy for everyone. However, the holiday season brings hidden stresses for many autistic people. Changes in routines, sensory overload, and increased social demands are just a few of the challenges facing autistic children, teens, and adults during this time of year. Fortunately, many of these challenges…
The emergency department (ED) is often a chaotic, loud, and, frankly, frightening place. Patients may be yelling; monitors and alarms are continuously sounding off; staff are hurrying around; police officers may be present; and overhead pages are squawking every few minutes. There is very little privacy, with patients often separated by a curtain or even…
Roughly 70% of autistic children have at least one co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis, and over 30% have two or more. Rates of problem behaviors are also high, with 56% of autistic youth directing aggression toward caregivers and 30% engaging in self-injury. There is also growing evidence that suggests that rates of suicidal ideation and attempts are…
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many doctors and other providers adapted to a telehealth model to provide care. Even as in-person treatment options are again becoming widely available, telehealth still offers unique benefits for autistic children and their families when receiving medical care and/or autism services. Those benefits include: Increased access to care (including more…
“Do you remember the story about the Little Red Hen?” “Yes, I do.” “That story is why I want to learn to cook and want to learn to shop more. We can’t expect to eat if we don’t do our part. That’s a kid’s story but it’s really true for all of life.” “So true.…
Sometimes, it is necessary for us to fail. I believe that failure is just a symbol of not picking myself off the ground hard enough. My experience volunteering for autistic kids by teaching them chess went through a lot of ups-and-downs, but I stayed confident and invested in my vision for success. If you want…
The employment prospects for autistic adults are grim, as a recent Politico article noted, with only about one-third of autistic adults in paid jobs for more than 15 hours a week. However, there are encouraging signs in the news that promise change. Federal Initiatives One of those, also noted in the Politico article, is…
In September, OAR hosted two webinars, which are now available for viewing. The first, Supporting Paraprofessionals to Implement Functional Communication Training (FCT) to Address Challenging Behavior, was held on September 16 and presented by Drs. Virginia Walker, PhD, BCBA-D, and Megan Carpenter, PhD. The second webinar, The Impact of COVID-19 on Families of Children with…
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, job seekers are on the hunt to secure part-time and full-time opportunities before 2022 begins. Our newest navigator cohort is ready to help. Sixteen incredible volunteers make up this cohort, the largest to date. Congratulations to our newest navigators: Alyssa Figgins, Amber Elias, Corey Cecchini, Dvorah Richman,…
